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was being said, he makes it acceptable and light by bringing himself into the midst, and saying he seeks the advantage of others. For the rule of the most perfect Christian is, and the exact definition, and the highest summit, to seek the common advantage. And nothing is so able to make one an imitator of Christ, as caring for one's neighbors. Therefore he added, "Be imitators of me." "Now I commend you, brothers, that you remember me in everything, and as I delivered to you, you hold the traditions. But I want you to know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of a woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." Having finished the things concerning things sacrificed to idols, he passes on to another subject, that women should not pray or prophesy with their heads uncovered, and that men should not have long hair. And he had already advised concerning these things, which is why he says they remember him, even if not all accepted the advice. "Every man who prays or prophesies, having his head covered, dishonors his head." 95.656 Symbols are given to man and woman, many others as well; to the one, of authority, to the other, of submission. And with those, this also, that she be covered, and that he have his head bare. If, therefore, these are symbols, both sin, confusing the good order, and the ordinance of God and transgressing their own boundaries; the one, by falling into her lowliness; the other, by rising up against the man through her appearance. "But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head; for it is one and the same as if she were shaven. For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered." For there were women who had this gift, such as the daughters of Philip, and others before them, and after them, concerning whom a prophecy also spoke, saying: And your sons will prophesy, and your daughters will see visions. "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. For man was not created for the woman, but woman for the man." Another reason again, which forbids him to be covered, and what is it, but that he is the ruler of the woman? For the ruler when approaching the king, must have the symbol of his authority. As, therefore, none of the rulers would dare to appear before the king without his belt and cloak, so you too, he says, do not pray to God without the symbols of your authority, which is not being covered, lest you dishonor both yourself and Him who has honored you. The same might be said of the woman. For it is a dishonor to her, not to have the symbols of her submission. "For this reason the woman ought to have authority on her head because of the angels." For this reason, what reason? Because of all that has been said, he says. And first, that Christ is our head, and we are the head of the woman. Second, that we are the glory of God, and the woman is ours. Third, that we are not from the woman, but she from us. Fourth, that we are not for the woman, but she for us. Fifth, because of the angels who stand by, and help the one who is praying. "Nevertheless, neither is woman independent of man, nor man independent of woman, in the Lord. For as the woman came from the man, so also the man is through the woman; but all things are from God. Judge in yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you, that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him; but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? for it is given to her for a covering." Since he spoke of the man's great superiority, that the 95.657 woman is from him, and for him, so that he might not puff up the men more than is proper, nor distress the women, he added the arrangement. "But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom." He made the rebuke measured, instilling greater shame, whence he also made his argument weightier. "nor the churches of God." He shows
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λεγόμενον ἦν, εὐπαράδεκτον αὐτὸ καὶ κοῦφον ποιεῖ αὐτὸ, εἰς μέσον ἑαυτὸν ἄγων, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἄλλων συμφέρον λέγων ζητεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ κανών ἐστι τοῦ τελειοτάτου Χριστιανοῦ, καὶ ὅρος ἠκριβωμένος, καὶ ἡ ἀνωτάτω κορυφὴ, τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον ζητεῖν. Καὶ οὐδὲν οὕτω δύναται ποιῆσαι μίμησιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὡς τὸ κήδεσθαι τῶν πλησίον. ∆ιὸ τὸ, Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, προσέθηκεν. «Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι πάντα μου μέμνησθε, καὶ καθὼς παρέδωκα ὑμῖν, τὰς παραδόσεις κατέχετε. Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι παντὸς ἀνδρὸς ἡ κεφαλὴ ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν· κεφαλὴ δὲ γυναικὸς ὁ ἀνήρ· κεφαλὴ δὲ Χριστοῦ ὁ Θεός.» Ἀπαρτίσας τὰ περὶ τῶν εἰδωλοθύτων, λόγον ἐφ' ἕτερον μέτεισιν, τὸ μὴ τὰς γυναῖκας ἀκατακαλύπτως εὔχεσθαι, ἢ προφητεύειν, καὶ τὸ μὴ τοὺς ἄνδρας κομᾷν. Ἤδη δὲ ἦν καὶ περὶ τούτων παραινέσας, διὸ καὶ μνημονεύειν αὐτούς φησιν αὐτοῦ, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντες ἐδέξαντο τὴν παραίνεσιν. «Πᾶς ἀνὴρ προσευχόμενος ἢ προφητεύων, κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων, καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὑτοῦ.» 95.656 Σύμβολα δέδοται ἀνδρὶ καὶ γυναικὶ, πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἕτερα· τῷ μὲν τῆς ἀρχῆς, τῇ δὲ τῆς ὑποταγῆς. Μετὰ δὲ ἐκείνων καὶ τοῦτο, τὸ ταύτην μὲν κατακαλύπτεσθαι, τοῦτον δὲ γυμνὴν ἔχειν τὴν κεφαλήν. Εἰ τοίνυν σύμβολα ταῦτά ἐστιν, ἀμφότεροι ἁμαρτάνουσι, τὴν εὐταξίαν συγχέοντες, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ διαταγὴν καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ὑπερβαίνοντες ὅρους· καὶ ὁ μὲν, εἰς τὴν ἐκείνης καταπίπτων εὐτέλειαν· ἡ δὲ ἐπανισταμένη τῷ ἀνδρὶ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος. «Πᾶσα δὲ γυνὴ προσευχομένη, ἢ προφητεύουσα ἀκατακαλύπτῳ τῇ κεφαλῇ, καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς· ἓν γάρ ἐστι καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῇ ἐξυρημένῃ· εἰ γὰρ οὐ κατακαλύπτεται γυνὴ, καὶ κειράσθω. Εἰ δὲ αἰσχρὸν γυναικὶ τὸ κείρασθαι, ἢ ξυρᾶσθαι, κατακαλυπτέσθω.» Ἦσαν γὰρ γυναῖκες, τοῦτο τὸ χάρισμα ἔχουσαι, ὡς αἱ Φιλίππου θυγατέρες, καὶ ἕτεραι πρὸ ἐκείνων, καὶ μετ' ἐκείνας, περὶ ὧν καὶ προφητεία ἦν λέγουσα· Καὶ προφητεύσουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν, καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν ὁράσεις ὄψονται. «Ἀνὴρ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ὀφείλει κατακαλύπτεσθαι τὴν κεφαλὴν, εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων. Γυνὴ δὲ δόξα ἀνδρός ἐστιν· οὐ γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἐκ γυναικὸς, ἀλλὰ γυνὴ ἐξ ἀνδρός· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐκτίσθη ἀνὴρ διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀλλὰ γυνὴ διὰ τὸν ἄνδρα.» Ἄλλη πάλιν αἰτία, ἡ κωλύουσα κατακαλύπτεσθαι, καὶ ποία αὕτη, ἢ τὸ ἄρχοντα αὐτὸν εἶναι τῆς γυναικός; Τὸν γὰρ ἄρχοντα τῷ βασιλεῖ προσιόντα, τὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς σύμβολον ἔχειν δεῖ. Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀρχόντων χωρὶς ζώνης καὶ χλανίδος τολμήσειεν ἂν φανῆναι τῷ βασιλεῖ, οὕτω μηδὲ σὺ, φησὶ, χωρὶς τῶν συμβόλων τῆς ἀρχῆς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ μὴ κατακαλύπτεσθαι, προσεύχου τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα μὴ ὑβρίσῃς, καὶ σεαυτὸν, καὶ τὸν τετιμηκότα. Τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γυναικὸς εἴποι τις ἄν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνῃ ὕβρις, τὸ μὴ ἔχειν τὰ σύμβολα τῆς ὑποταγῆς. «∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὀφείλει ἡ γυνὴ ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους.» ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ποῖον; ∆ιὰ τὰ εἰρημένα, λέγει, πάντα. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι κεφαλὴ ἡμῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς γυναικός. ∆εύτερον δὲ, ὅτι ἡμεῖς δόξα Θεοῦ, ἡμῶν δὲ ἡ γυνή. Τρίτον, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἐκ τῆς γυναικὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκείνη ἐξ ἡμῶν. Τέταρτον, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμεῖς διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἀλλ' ἐκείνη δι' ἡμᾶς. Πέμπτον, διὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοὺς παρεστηκότας, καὶ συναντιλαμβανομένους τῷ προσευχομένῳ. «Πλὴν οὔτε γυνὴ χωρὶς ἀνδρὸς, οὔτε ἀνὴρ χωρὶς γυναικὸς ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ γυνὴ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ διὰ τῆς γυναικός· τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς κρίνατε. Πρέπον ἐστὶ γυναῖκα ἀκατακάλυπτον τῷ Θεῷ προσεύχεσθαι; ἢ οὐδὲ ἡ φύσις αὐτὴ διδάσκει ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ἀνὴρ μὲν ἐὰν κομᾷ, ἀτιμία αὐτῷ ἐστι· γυνὴ δὲ ἐὰν κομᾷ, δόξα αὐτῆς ἐστιν; ὅτι ἀντὶ περιβολαίου αὐτῇ δέδοται.» Ἐπειδὴ πολλὴν ὑπεροχὴν τῷ ἀνδρὶ εἰπὼν, ὅτι ἐξ 95.657 αὐτοῦ ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ δι' αὐτὸν, ἵνα μήτε τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐπάρῃ πλέον τοῦ δέοντος, μήτε ἐκείνας ταλαιπωρήσῃ, ἐπήγαγεν τὴν διάθεσιν. «Εἰ δέ τις δοκεῖ φιλόνεικος εἶναι, ἡμεῖς τοιαύτην συνήθειαν οὐκ ἔχομεν.» Μεμετρημένην τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν ἐποίησεν, πλείονα τὴν ἐντροπὴν ἐνθεὶς, ὅθεν καὶ βαρύτερον ἐποίησε τὸν λόγον. «Οὐδὲ αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι τοῦ Θεοῦ.» ∆είκνυσιν